User equipment location determination using different coverage types

ABSTRACT

Determining a location of a user equipment includes transmitting, by one or more processors from a network node, a first beam having a first frequency range in a first area and a second beam having a second frequency range in a second area. The first area is larger than and encompasses the second area. A request for determining the location of the user equipment is received. The one or more processors may then cause the second beam to sweep within the first area, receive a second signal from the user equipment indicating when the second beam is swept over the location of the user equipment and data related to signal measurements of the second beam at the user equipment, and determine the location of the user equipment based on a pointing direction of the second beam relative to a position of the node of the network and the received data.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 17/018,631, filed Sep. 11, 2020, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Patent Application No. 62/900,090, filed Sep. 13, 2019, the entiredisclosure of which are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

Information can be transmitted over directional point-to-point networksor point-to-multipoint networks, such as aerospace and other mobilenetworks. In such networks, links can be formed between pairs of nodesby aiming transceivers of each node pair towards each other. Links canalso be formed by steering the transceivers of a network node eithertoward a discrete user terminal or node or toward some discrete point tocover a general geographic area. In some implementations, nodes mayinclude non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) satellites or otherhigh-altitude platforms (HAPs) that are in motion relative to the Earth.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The technology described herein provides for methods, systems, ormediums for implementing 5G NR using non-terrestrial nodes, such ashigh-altitude platforms. The methods, systems, or mediums allow for5G-enabled nodes to coexist with other nodes providing other types ofcoverage. In addition, the methods and systems allow for networks toutilize resources made available through 5G NR, as well as other typesof coverage.

Aspects of the disclosure provide for a method of determining a locationof a user equipment. The method includes transmitting, by one or moreprocessors from a node of a network, a first beam having a firstfrequency range in a first area and a second beam having a secondfrequency range in a second area, the first area being larger than thesecond area and encompassing the second area; receiving, by the one ormore processors, a request for determining the location of the userequipment in a first signal that is in the first frequency range;causing, by the one or more processors, the second beam to sweep withinthe first area; receiving, by the one or more processors, a secondsignal from the user equipment indicating when the second beam is sweptover the location of the user equipment and data related to signalmeasurements of the second beam at the user equipment; and determiningthe location of the user equipment based on a pointing direction of thesecond beam relative to a position of the node of the network and thedata related to the signal measurements.

In one example, the first frequency range is within a range of 4GLong-Term Evolution (LTE) communication signals, and the secondfrequency range is within a range of 5G New Radio (NR) communicationsignals. In another example, transmitting the second beam occurs afterthe receiving of the request. In a further example, the request includesan indication of a capability of the user equipment to detect the firstfrequency range and the second frequency range.

In yet another example, the causing of the second beam to sweep withinthe first area includes physically adjusting a pointing direction of thesecond beam. In a still further example, the causing of the second beamto sweep within the first area includes electronically adjusting apointing direction of the second beam using beamforming techniques. Inanother example, the causing of the second beam to sweep includescausing the second beam to sweep in a set pattern. In a further example,the causing of the second beam to sweep within the first area until thelocation of the user equipment is determined.

In yet another example, the method also includes transmitting a thirdbeam having a third frequency range in a third area, the third areabeing smaller than the first area and being encompassed by the firstarea; causing the third beam to sweep within the first area; andreceiving a third signal from the user equipment indicating when thethird beam is swept over the location of the user equipment and seconddata related to second signal measurements of the third beam at the userequipment; and wherein the determining of the location of the userequipment is further based on a pointing direction of the third beam andthe second data related to the second signal measurements.

Other aspects of the disclosure provide for a system for determining alocation of a user equipment, the system comprising one or moretransceivers configured to transmit and receive communication beamscomprising one or more signals, the communication beams including afirst beam having a first frequency range and a second beam having asecond frequency range; and one or more processors configured totransmit, using the one or more transceivers, the first beam in a firstarea and the second beam in a second area, the first area being largerthan the second area and encompassing the second area; receive, via theone or more transceivers, a request for determining the location of theuser equipment in a first signal that is in the first frequency range;cause the second beam to sweep within the first area; receive, via theone or more transceivers, a second signal from the user equipmentindicating when the second beam is swept over the location of the userequipment and data related to signal measurements of the second beam atthe user equipment; and determine the location of the user equipmentbased on a pointing direction of the second beam relative to a positionof the system and the data related to the signal measurements.

In one example, the first frequency range is within a range of 4GLong-Term Evolution (LTE) communication signals, and the secondfrequency range is within a range of 5G New Radio (NR) communicationsignals. In another example, the one or more processors are configuredto transmit the second beam after receiving the request. In a furtherexample, the request includes an indication of a capability of the userequipment to detect the first frequency range and the second frequencyrange.

In yet another example, the system also includes a gimbal, and the oneor more processors are configured to cause the second beam to sweepusing the gimbal to physically adjust a pointing direction of the secondbeam. In a still further example, the one or more processors areconfigured to cause the second beam to sweep within the first area usingbeamforming techniques. In another example, the one or more processorsare configured to cause the second beam to sweep in a set pattern. In afurther example, the one or more processors are configured to cause thesecond beam to sweep within the first area until the location of theuser equipment is determined.

In yet another example, the one or more transceivers are also configuredto transmit and receive a third beam having a third frequency range, andthe one or more processors are also configured to transmit the thirdbeam in a third area, the third area being smaller than the first areaand being encompassed by the first area; cause the third beam to sweepwithin the first area; receive a third signal from the user equipmentindicating when the third beam is swept over the location of the userequipment and second data related to second signal measurements of thethird beam at the user equipment; and determine the location of the userequipment further based on a pointing direction of the third beam andthe second data related to the second signal measurements. In a stillfurther example, the system also includes a high-altitude platformterminal.

Further aspects of the disclosure provide for a non-transitory,computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed byone or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform amethod of determining a location of a user equipment. The methodincludes transmitting a first beam having a first frequency range in afirst area and a second beam having a second frequency range in a secondarea, the first area being larger than the second area and encompassingthe second area; receiving a request for determining the location of theuser equipment in a first signal that is in the first frequency range;causing the second beam to sweep within the first area; receiving asecond signal from the user equipment indicating when the second beam isswept over the location of the user equipment and data related to signalmeasurements of the second beam at the user equipment; and determiningthe location of the user equipment based on a pointing direction of thesecond beam and the data related to the signal measurements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial diagram of a portion of an example network inaccordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example network in accordance with aspects ofthe disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a functional diagram of the portion of the network shown inFIG. 1 in accordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a functional diagram of a network controller in accordancewith aspects of the disclosure.

FIGS. 5A and 5B is a pictorial diagram of an example scenario inaccordance with aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example method in accordance with aspectsof the disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a pictorial diagram of another example scenario in accordancewith aspects of the disclosure.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of another example method in accordance withaspects of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview

The technology relates to implementing 5G NR using non-terrestrialnodes, such as high-altitude platforms. In particular, the 5G-enablednon-terrestrial nodes may be required to coexist with other nodesproviding other types of coverage, such as 4G LTE. In areas where thereis 5G coverage as well as another type of network coverage is available,there is a need to coordinate between the different types of signals toprovide coverage to user equipment (UE) in these areas. There are alsonew opportunities made available by the presence of multiple types ofsignals that may be taken advantage of in order to increase coverage orcapacity of the overall network.

For example, a network may include a plurality of terrestrial nodes,such as towers, located in a geographic area. The network may beconfigured to provide 4G LTE coverage to the geographic area. In someimplementations, the network may additionally be configured to provide5G NR coverage to the geographic area or another type of coverage. Oneor more non-terrestrial nodes may be included in the network temporarilyor permanently. For example, a high-altitude balloon may be added as anode of the network when the high-altitude balloon is in range of one ofthe terrestrial nodes of the network. The high-altitude balloon may beconfigured to provide large area coverage to the geographic area, suchthat a signal beam transmitted from the high-altitude balloon may coveran area including multiple terrestrial nodes in the geographic area. Thehigh-altitude balloon may also be configured to transmit narrower signalbeams focused on a smaller area than the large area coverage. The one ormore non-terrestrial nodes may be equipped to provide 5G NR coverage. Insome examples, the one or more non-terrestrial nodes are also equippedto provide 4G LTE coverage and/or another type of coverage.Alternatively, the one or more non-terrestrial nodes of the networkequipped for 5G NR coverage may comprise a second, separate network tothe networking including the plurality of terrestrial nodes.

In one aspect of the technology, resource allocation for 5G coverage inan area may be defined based on the spectrum that is already implementedin the area. In another aspect, spectrum may be assigned dynamically for5G coverage by strategically requesting or blocking resources or bytracking what resources become available in scheduling. In a furtheraspect, locating user equipment (UE) may be accomplished using a 5G beamin coordination with a wide coverage beam. In yet another aspect,performing handovers between a first node and a second node may includea protocol for updating or disassociating a physical cell identifier ofa first node prior to connecting with the second node, which may havethe same identifier. In an additional aspect, the backhaul capacity maybe increased for non-terrestrial nodes by implementing distributedbackhaul from a non-terrestrial node to a plurality of donor nodes ofthe network. These implementations will be discussed in further detailbelow.

The features disclosed herein may allow for a more seamless integrationof 5G-enabled non-terrestrial nodes with existing terrestrial nodes thatprovide another type of coverage, such as 4G LTE. The 5G-enablednon-terrestrial nodes may then be used to supplement, expand, orstrengthen the coverage of existing networks. For example, the servicereliability of a network may be reinforced for M2M or IoT devices or forpassengers onboard moving platforms. Multicast and broadcast resourcesfor data may also be provided using the 5G-enabled non-terrestrialnodes, especially towards the network edges or at user terminals. Inaddition, non-terrestrial nodes, such as high-altitude balloons, may beused to expand network coverage into areas having little to noinfrastructure for terrestrial networks. The use of non-terrestrialnodes may reduce the time and cost required to plan and installadditional terrestrial nodes, especially in more remote areas.

Example Systems and Network

FIG. 1 is a pictorial diagram of an example system 100 of network nodesin a network. The network may include nodes mounted on various land- andair-based devices, some of which may change position with respect toother nodes in the network over time. For example, as shown in FIG. 1,the network includes, as nodes, a first terrestrial tower 110 and asecond terrestrial tower 112. The network also includes as a node ahigh-altitude platform 114. As shown, HAP 114 is a balloon. In otherembodiments, the HAP may be a blimp, an airplane, an unmanned aerialvehicle (UAV) such as a drone, a satellite, or another platform capableof low Earth orbit.

Nodes in the network may be equipped to transmit and receive mmWavesignals or other very high frequency signals. Additionally oralternatively, nodes in the network may be equipped to transmit andreceive other radio-frequency signals, optical signals, or othercommunication signal capable of travelling through free space. Arrowsshown projecting from nodes represent possible paths 120, 122 a, 122 b,124, 126, 128, 130 for a transmitted communication signal. As shown inFIG. 1, some possible paths may be blocked by buildings, such asbuildings 140, 142. For example, a signal following path 120 from node110 may be angled below the horizon and be blocked by building 140. Asignal following path 122 a from node 110 may be angled above path 120,avoiding building 140, but then may contact building 142. The signalfollowing path 122 a may reflect off building 142 and follow path 122 btowards the ground location of a user 150, carrying a client device 152.A signal following path 124 from node 110 may be angled towards or abovethe horizon, nearly parallel to the ground, passing over building 140,but then may be blocked by building 142. A signal following path 126from node 110 may be angled above the horizon and reach node 114. Asignal following path 128 from node 114 directed to the ground locationof user 150. A signal following path 130 from node 114 may be angledbelow the horizon, pass over building 142, and reach node 112.

Also shown in FIG. 1, a signal may be transmitted from the client device152 of the user 150 back towards one or more nodes of the network. Forexample, a signal from the client device 152 may be transmitted backalong paths 122 b and 122 a towards node 110. Another signal from theclient device 152 may be transmitted back along path 128 towards node114. In addition, multiple users or multiple client devices may formbi-directional access links with a given node of the network at a givenpoint in time, in addition to the user 150 and the client device 152shown in FIG. 1.

The network nodes as shown in FIG. 1 is illustrative only, and thenetwork may include additional or different nodes. For example, in someimplementations, the network may include additional HAPs and/oradditional terrestrial towers. When the network includes at least onelow Earth orbit or high Earth orbit satellite as well as one other typeof HAP, the network may be defined as a hybrid HAP/satellite network.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the network 200 that includes thesystem 100 may also include as nodes additional terrestrial towers 210,220, 230, and 240. Arrows shown between a pair of nodes representpossible communication paths between the nodes. In addition to paths124, 126, and 130 corresponding to the paths shown in FIG. 1, paths250-257 are shown between the nodes. The network 200 as shown in FIG. 2is illustrative only, and in some implementations the network 200 mayinclude additional or different nodes. The status information receivedfrom the nodes of the network may include the location information ofHAP 114 or weather conditions at locations of terrestrial towers 110,112, 210, 220, 230, and 640 at a current time or a future time. Thelocation information of HAP 114 may include a projected trajectory orset location, such as a future location at the future time that is insignal range of the terrestrial towers 110, 112.

In some implementations, the network may serve as an access network forclient devices such as cellular phones, laptop computers, desktopcomputers, wearable devices, or tablet computers. For example, nodes110, 112, 114 may connect to the datacenters via wireless, fiber, orcable backbone network links or transit networks operated by thirdparties. The nodes 110, 112, 114 may provide wireless access for theusers, and may forward user requests to the datacenters and returnresponses to the users via the backbone network links.

In particular, the first terrestrial tower 110, the second terrestrialtower 112, and the HAP 114 may include wireless transceivers configuredto operate in a cellular or other mobile network, such as 5G NR (newradio) networks or LTE networks. The nodes 110, 112, 114 may operate asgNodeB stations, eNodeB stations, or other wireless access points, suchas WiMAX or UMTS access points. One or more terrestrial towers in thenetwork may include an optical fiber or other link connecting the one ormore terrestrial towers to another terrestrial tower or datacenter. Forexample, the second terrestrial tower 112 may include fiber 113, shownby a dotted arrow, that connects to another terrestrial tower (notshown). As shown in FIG. 1, user 150 carrying a client device 152 may beconfigured to communicate with one or more of the nodes in the network.The network also may be connected to a larger network, such as theInternet, and may be configured to provide a client device with accessto resources stored on or provided through the larger computer network.

As shown in FIG. 3, each node, such as first terrestrial tower 110,second terrestrial tower 112, and HAP 114, may include one or moretransceivers configured to transmit and receive communication signalsand create one or more communication links with another node in thenetwork. Referring to HAP 114 as an example, each of the nodes, mayinclude one or more processors 310, memory 312, one or more transceivers320, and one or more antennas 322. While only terrestrial towers 110,112 and HAP 114 are shown, other terrestrial towers and HAPs in thenetwork may have the same or as similar configurations.

The one or more processors 310 may be any conventional processors, suchas commercially available CPUs. Alternatively, the one or moreprocessors may be a dedicated device such as an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC) or other hardware-based processor, such as afield programmable gate array (FPGA). The one or more processors 310 maybe configured to operate according to a given protocol architecture fora mobile network, such as 5G NR architecture or LTE radio protocolarchitecture. Although FIG. 3 functionally illustrates the one or moreprocessors 310 and memory 312 as being within the same block, it will beunderstood that the one or more processors 310 and memory 312 mayactually comprise multiple processors and memories that may or may notbe stored within the same physical housing. Accordingly, references to aprocessor or computer will be understood to include references to acollection of processors or computers or memories that may or may notoperate in parallel.

Memory 312 stores information accessible by the one or more processors310, including data 314, and instructions 316, that may be executed bythe one or more processors 310. The memory may be of any type capable ofstoring information accessible by the processor, includingnon-transitory and tangible computer-readable mediums containingcomputer readable instructions such as a hard-drive, memory card, ROM,RAM, DVD or other optical disks, as well as other write-capable andread-only memories. The system and method may include differentcombinations of the foregoing, whereby different portions of the data314 and instructions 316 are stored on different types of media. In thememory of each node, such as memory 312 of HAP 114, a forwardinginformation base or forwarding table may be stored that indicate howsignals received at each node should be forwarded, or transmitted. Forexample, the forwarding table stored in memory 312 may indicate that asignal received from ground station 110 should be forwarded to groundstation 112.

Data 314 may be retrieved, stored or modified by the one or moreprocessors 310 in accordance with the instructions 316. For instance,although the system and method are not limited by any particular datastructure, the data 314 may be stored in computer registers, in arelational database as a table having a plurality of different fieldsand records, XML documents or flat files. The data 314 may also beformatted in any computer-readable format such as, but not limited to,binary values or Unicode. By further way of example only, image data maybe stored as bitmaps comprised of grids of pixels that are stored inaccordance with formats that are compressed or uncompressed, lossless(e.g., BMP) or lossy (e.g., JPEG), and bitmap or vector-based (e.g.,SVG), as well as computer instructions for drawing graphics. The data314 may comprise any information sufficient to identify the relevantinformation, such as numbers, descriptive text, proprietary codes,references to data stored in other areas of the same memory or differentmemories (including other network locations) or information that is usedby a function to calculate the relevant data.

The instructions 316 may be any set of instructions to be executeddirectly (such as machine code) or indirectly (such as scripts) by theone or more processors 310. For example, the instructions 316 mayinclude the given protocol architecture for the mobile network of whichthe node is a part. The given protocol architecture may include a splitarchitecture between a central unit and a distributed unit. In addition,the given protocol architecture may define a control plane, a userplane, or other protocol layers. The given protocol architecture mayalso include an interface that defines a plurality of messages for usein communication between the protocol layers. The instructions 316 maybe stored as computer code on the computer-readable medium. In thatregard, the terms “instructions” and “programs” may be usedinterchangeably herein. The instructions 316 may be stored in objectcode format for direct processing by the one or more processors 310, orin any other computer language including scripts or collections ofindependent source code modules that are interpreted on demand orcompiled in advance. Functions, methods and routines of the instructions316 are explained in more detail below.

The one or more transceivers 320 may include at least one wirelesstransceiver mounted to actuators that can be controlled, or steered, topoint in a desired direction via the one or more antennas 322. Forexample, an actuator may be a gimbal configured to move about one ormore axes. To form a wireless link between two nodes, such as the nodeassociated with the HAP 114 and the node associated with the firstterrestrial tower 110, the wireless transceivers of the respective nodescan be controlled to point in the direction of one another so that datacan be sent and received between the nodes. For nodes with fiber orcable connections, such as second terrestrial tower 112, the one or moretransceivers 320 may also include at least one transceiver configured tocommunicate via a fiber or cable connection.

As further shown in FIG. 3, the client device 152 associated with user150 may be a personal computing device or a server with one or moreprocessors 350, memory 352, data 354, and instructions 356 similar tothose described above with respect to the one or more processors 310,memory 312, data 314, and instructions 316. Personal computing devicesmay include a personal computer that has all of the components normallyused in connection with a personal computer such as a central processingunit (CPU), memory (e.g., RAM and internal hard drives) storing data andinstructions, an electronic display (e.g., a monitor having a screen, asmall LCD touch-screen, a projector, a television, or any otherelectrical device that is operable to display information), user input(e.g., a mouse, keyboard, touch-screen or microphone), camera, speakers,a network interface device, and all of the components used forconnecting these elements to one another. Personal computing devices mayalso include mobile devices such as PDAs, cellular phones, and the like.Indeed, client device 152 may be any device capable of processinginstructions and transmitting data to and from humans and othercomputers including general purpose computers, network computers lackinglocal storage capability, and set-top boxes for televisions. In someembodiments, client devices may be associated with one or moreself-defined network (SDN) applications and may have one or morenorthbound interface (NBI) drivers.

In some implementations, the network can be an SDN that is controlled byan SDN controller, such as network controller 400 depicted in FIG. 4.The network controller 400 may be located at one of the network nodes orat a separate platform, such as, for example, in a datacenter. The nodesof the network, including nodes 110, 112, 114 may be configured tocommunicate with one another using the steerable transceivers, such asthe one or more transceivers 320 or the one or more antennas 322. As theHAPs in the network, such as HAP 114, move with respect to other nodesin the network, such as terrestrial towers 110, 112, some network linksmay become infeasible due to range of the transceivers or obstaclesbetween the nodes. Thus, the configuration of the network may requireregular (i.e., periodic) or irregular reconfiguration using the networkcontroller 400 to maintain connectivity and to satisfy determinednetwork flows.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of network controller 400. The networkcontroller 400 may be configured to send control messages to the nodesof the network to provide reconfiguration according to updated topology,to pass routing information, and to schedule reconfigurations totransmit client data. As shown in FIG. 4, the network controller 400 mayinclude one or more processors 410, memory, 420, and communicationssystem 440. The one or more processors 410 may be similar to the one ormore processors 310 described above. Memory 420 may store informationaccessible by the one or more processors 410, including data 422 andinstructions 424 that may be executed by processor 410. Memory 420, data422, and instructions 424 may be configured similarly to memory 312,data 314, and instructions 316 described above. The data 422 may includea table representing all of the available nodes and possible links inthe network 100 at a given time or time frame. The instructions 424 mayinclude one or more modules for managing topology and routing,determining topology, determining network flows, solving for networkconfigurations, controlling flight of a given HAP, or scheduling futurenetwork configurations.

The communications system 440 may be configured to communicate with thenodes of network, such as nodes 110, 112, 114, as well as one or moreclient devices, such as client device 152. In some embodiments, thecommunication system 440 includes a Control to Data-Plane Interface(CDPI) driver configured to communicate with a CDPI agent at each of thenodes 110, 112, 114. In addition, the communications system 440 of thenetwork controller 400 may include one or more NBI agents configured tocommunicate with an NBI driver at each client device associated with oneor more SDN applications. The communication system 440 may optionally oralternatively be configured to transmit and receive a signal via radiofrequencies, optical frequencies, optical fiber, cable, or othercommunication means to and from the nodes in the network and the one ormore client devices.

Example Implementations and Methods

In addition to the operations described above and illustrated in thefigures, various implementations and methods will now be described. Itshould be understood that the described operations and steps do not haveto be performed in the precise order provided below. Rather, variousoperations and steps can be handled in a different order orsimultaneously, and operations and steps may also be added or omitted.

In an aspect of the technology, location determination for a UE may beperformed using a plurality of beams having different frequencies. Theplurality of beams may include beams for different coverage types. Whennodes of the network are far from each other, coverage provided by nodescover a large geographic area, and/or coverage of nodes do not overlap,typical trilateration may not be possible for determining a location ofa UE. In trilateration, overlapping coverage areas of three differentnodes are used to pinpoint a UE location based on the distances of a UEfrom each of the three different nodes.

A node of the network may be configured to transmit a plurality of beamshaving different frequencies. The node of the network may be aterrestrial node, such as terrestrial tower 110, or anon-terrestrialnode, such as high-altitude platform 114. For example, as shown in FIG.5, the node may be configured to transmit a first beam in a firstfrequency range (such as, for example, a range including 3.5 GHz) and asecond beam in a second frequency range that includes higher frequenciesthan the first frequency range (such as, for example, a range including28 GHz). In particular, the first frequency range may be within therange of 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) communication signals as definedin a specification of a current or previous version of the standardadopted by the 3^(rd) Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standardorganization or other standard organization. The second frequency rangemay be within the range of 5G New Radio (NR) communication signals asdefined in a specification of a current or previous version of thestandard adopted by the 3GPP standard organization or other standardorganization. The first beam may provide first large area coverage onthe ground, such as covering a geographic area on the order of tens ofkilometers wide. The second beam, having the higher frequency, may havea second narrower coverage area on the ground than the first beam.

As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the terrestrial tower 110 or thehigh-altitude platform 114 may transmit a 4G LTE communication beam thatprovides a 4G coverage area 502 and a 5G NR communication beam thatprovides a 5G coverage area 504. The 5G coverage area 504 is a smallerarea than the 4G coverage area 502. In FIGS. 5A and 5B, the 5G coveragearea 504 is shown being cast within the 4G coverage area 502. The clientdevice, or UE, 152 is shown being in a location demarcated by an “x” inthe 4G coverage area 502. The demarcated location is not within the 5Gcoverage area 504.

In FIG. 6, flow diagram 600 is shown in accordance with some of theaspects of this technology that may be performed by one or moreprocessors of nodes of a network, such as that of nodes 110 or 114 orthat of UE 152. While FIG. 6 shows blocks in a particular order, theorder may be varied and that multiple operations may be performedsimultaneously. Also, operations may be added or omitted.

When a UE is capable of detecting each of the frequency ranges of thefirst and second beams, the location of the UE may be determined usingthe first and second beams being transmitted from a given node of thenetwork. The UE may be in the first coverage area of the first beam andin communication with the given node using the first frequency range.For example, UE 152 is in the 4G coverage area 502 and in communicationwith a given node, such as terrestrial node 110 or high-altitudeplatform 114, using 4G LTE communication signals. The UE 152 may beconfigured to detect each of the frequency ranges of the 4G LTEcommunication beam and the 5G NR communication beam.

At block 602, a UE, such as UE 152, that is in range of a node of acommunication network, such as node 110 or 114, may transmit a requestto the node of the network for determining its location. The request isreceived at the node of the network. The request may include anindication of the capability of the UE to detect a first frequency rangeand a second frequency range different from the first frequency rangemay be communicated with the node. For example, UE 152 shown in FIG. 5Amay send the request using a signal in the 4G LTE frequency range or adifferent type of signal that the UE 152 is capable of using tocommunicate with the node of the network at its current location. Therequest of the UE 152 may include an indication that the UE can detectthe 4G LTE frequency range and the 5G NR frequency range.

At block 604, the UE may initiate detection and measurement of signalsin the second frequency range after transmitting the request. Forexample, the one or more processors 350 of the UE 152 may turn on and/oractively check one or more sensors of the client device to determinewhether a signal in the second frequency range has been received at theone or more sensors. The measurement of the signals may includedetecting a received signal strength, received signal quality, timingoffset between the UE and the node of the network power, received datarate, or error rate. In some implementations, the UE may also initiatedetection and measurements of signals in the first frequency range aswell.

At block 606, the one or more processors of the node of thecommunication network may transmit a first beam in the first frequencyrange and a second beam in the second frequency range. The first beamand the second beam may be transmitted in response to receiving therequest to determine the location of the UE or may be transmitted beforereceiving the request. In another example, the first beam is transmittedbefore receiving the request, and the second beam is transmitted afterreceiving the request. As described above, the first beam covers alarger geographic area than the second beam. The second beam may betransmitted within the coverage area of the first beam. As shown in FIG.5A, the one or more processors of node 110 or 114 transmits a first beamin the 4G LTE frequency range in a first coverage area 502 that includesthe location of the UE 152 and a second beam in the 5G NR frequencyrange in a second coverage area 504 within the first coverage area.

At block 608, the one or more processors of the node of the network maycause the second beam to sweep an area covered by the first beam afterreceiving the request to determine the location of the UE. For example,the one or more processors may physically or electronically adjust apointing direction of a transmitter of the one or more transceivers inthe node that is configured to transmit the second beam to move thesecond beam. Physically adjusting a pointing direction may includemoving a gimbal that directs the second beam. Electronically adjusting apointing direction may include using beamforming techniques to point thesecond beam in a desired direction. The sweeping of the beam may beperformed until an indication that the UE has detected the beam isreceived, until the UE location is determined, or until the second beampasses over every part of the area covered by the first beam. Inaddition, the sweeping of the beam may include moving the beam in a setpattern within the area covered by the first beam, such as in a spiralor an “S” pattern. As shown in FIG. 5A, the second beam transmitted fromthe node 110 or 114 that forms the 5G coverage area 504 may be swept asshown by arrow 506 within the 4G coverage area 502.

In some implementations, the one or more processors of the node of thenetwork may cause the second beam to sweep in the area covered by thefirst beam for a primary purpose different from determining the locationof the UE. Determining the location of the UE may be a secondary purposeperformed in parallel to the primary purpose. The primary purpose maybe, for example, to search for, point to, and/or form a connection withanother terminal. In this implementation, the sweeping of the beam maybe performed until the primary purpose is accomplished.

At block 610, the one or more processors of the UE may detect a signalin the second frequency range when the second beam is swept over thelocation of the UE. For example, when the second beam transmitted fromthe node 110 or 114 is swept over the location of UE 152 such that thelocation of the UE 152 falls within the 5G coverage area 504, as shownin FIG. 5B, the UE 152 may detect a signal in the second beam using theone or more sensors of the UE. At block 612, the one or more processorsof the UE may transmit a message to the node of the communicationnetwork with an indication that the signal in the second frequency rangehas been detected at a given point in time. The message is received atthe node of the network. The message may be sent via a signal in thefirst frequency range, a signal in the second frequency range, or adifferent type of signal that the UE is capable of using to communicatewith the node of the network at its current location. In the exampleshown in FIG. 5B, the UE 152 may transmit the message using the 4G LTEfrequency range.

At block 614, using a pointing direction of the second beam and themeasurements of the detected signal, the one or more processors of theUE or the one or more processors of the node may determine the locationof the UE. The pointing direction and the measurements corresponding tothe given point in time when the UE detects the signal may be selectedfor use in the determination. The pointing direction may be determinedrelative to a location of the node based on one or more sensors on thenode or based on tracking performed by the one or more processors of thenode. The measurements may include, for example, received signalstrength, received signal quality, timing offset between the UE and thenode of the network, received data rate, error rate, or other type ofsignal characteristic. For example, the pointing direction of the secondbeam forming the 5G coverage area 504 at the point in time shown in FIG.5B may be determined by the one or more processors of the node 110 or114. In addition, the measurements taken of a signal from the secondbeam detected at the UE 152 at the point in time shown in FIG. 5B may bedetermined by the one or more processors of the UE 152. When thelocation is to be determined by the one or more processors of the node110 or 114, the UE 152 may transmit one or more measurements to the node110 or 114 via a signal in the 4G LTE frequency range. When the locationis to be determined by the one or more processors of the UE 152, thenode 110 or 114 may transmit the pointing direction of the second beamor a location of the second beam derived from the pointing direction tothe UE 152 via a signal in the 4G LTE frequency range. Alternatively,the signal carrying the pointing direction or the measurements may betransmitted via a signal in the 5G NR frequency range.

The location may be determined by determining an area where the secondbeam is pointed at the point in time and comparing the measurements ofthe signal at the point in time to expected measurements for the secondbeam when received at the UE. The location may additionally oralternatively be determined by comparing the measurements to expectedmeasurements for the second beam at a given point in the set pattern orchanges in measurements for the second beam at given points in the setpattern. In another implementation, the location may be determined basedon a relationship between measurements for the second beam andmeasurements for the first beam as the second beam is moved.

The determined location of the UE may be used to establish acommunication channel between the UE and the node or other neighboringnodes in the communication network. The communication channel may bewithin the frequency range of the second beam that is narrower in widthand a higher frequency range than the first beam. For example, the UE152 may establish a communication channel with node 110 or 114 using afrequency range within the 5G NR frequency range. Additionally oralternatively, a trajectory of the UE 152 may be determined based on thedetermined location and the one or more processors of the UE 152 or thenode 110 or 114 may determine that a handover should be performed toprovide continuous coverage to the UE 152 based on the trajectory. Acommunication channel may be established between the UE 152 and anothernode in the network, such as terrestrial tower 112, by performing thehandover from the node 110 or 114. The communication channel with thenew node may be using the 4G frequency range, the 5G NR frequency range,or another frequency range available from the new node.

In another implementations, a third beam may also be transmitted by thenode having a third frequency range different from the first frequencyrange and the second frequency range (such as a range including 700MHz). The third beam may form a third coverage area on the groundsmaller than the first coverage area, similar to the second coveragearea. In some implementations, at least one of the plurality of beamsmay be transmitted from a second node of the network. As shown in FIG.7, the UE 152 may be located in the 4G coverage area 502 that is formedby one or more processors of node 110 transmitting a first beam in afirst frequency range. The 5G coverage area may be transmitted withinthe 4G coverage area 504 by one or more processors of node 110transmitting a second beam in a second frequency range. In addition, athird beam having a third frequency range may also be transmitted toform a coverage area 706 within the 4G coverage area 504. This thirdbeam may be transmitted by the node 110 or alternatively by node 114.The client device, or UE, 152 is shown being in a location demarcated byan “x” in the 4G coverage area 502. The demarcated location is notwithin the 5G coverage area 504.

In another implementation, the node of the network may be capable oftransmitting the first, second, and third beams, and a UE may be capableof detecting each of the frequency ranges of the first, second, andthird beams. In FIG. 8, flow diagram 800 is shown in accordance withsome of the aspects of this implementation that may be performed by oneor more processors of nodes of a network, such as that of nodes 110 or114 or that of UE 152. While FIG. 8 shows blocks in a particular order,the order may be varied and that multiple operations may be performedsimultaneously. Also, operations may be added or omitted.

A method for locating a UE in this implementation includes thefollowing:

At block 802, the UE transmits the request for determining its location,as described above with respect to block 602. At block 804, the UEinitiates detection and measurement of the second and third frequencyranges in a same or similar manner described above with respect to block604.

At block 806, the one or more processors of the node transmits the firstbeam, the second beam, and the third beam. The first and second beamsmay be transmitted in a same or similar manner as described above withrespect to block 606. The third beam may be transmitted using adifferent transceiver of the node than is used to transmit the first andsecond beams. The third beam also covers a smaller geographic area thanthe first beam. In one alternative implementation, the third beam istransmitted from another node of the network using the one or moreprocessors of the other node. The first, second, and third beam may betransmitted in response to receiving the request to determine thelocation of the UE or may be transmitted before receiving the request.In another example, the first beam is transmitted before receiving therequest, and the second and third beams are transmitted after receivingthe request. As shown in FIG. 7, the one or more processors of node 110transmits a first beam in the 4G LTE frequency range in a first coveragearea 502 that includes the location of the UE 152. The one or moreprocessors of the node 110 also transmits a second beam in the 5G NRfrequency range in a second coverage area 504 within the first coveragearea and a third beam in a third frequency range different from theranges of the first and second beams in a third coverage area 706 withinthe first coverage area.

At block 808, the one or more processors of the node of the network maycause the second beam and the third beam to sweep an area covered by thefirst beam in a same or similar manner described above with respect toblock 608. The third beam may be moved in a same pattern as the secondbeam. When the second beam and the third beam are moved jointly in thesame pattern, the second and third beams may be fixed in a relativeposition such that the coverage areas of the second and third beamspartially overlap. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the 5G coverage area504 is shown partially overlapping the third frequency coverage area706. This overlap configuration of the 5G coverage area 504 and thethird frequency coverage area 706 may be fixed such that the beams movetogether while sweeping the 4G coverage area 502. Alternatively, thethird beam may be moved independent from the second beam in a same ordifferent pattern than the second beam. In some implementations, thethird beam may be transmitted and swept in the first coverage area afterthe second beam has been transmitted and swept in the first coveragearea.

At block 810, the one or more processors of the UE may detect a firstsignal in the second frequency range when the second beam is swept overthe location of the UE and a second signal in the third frequency rangewhen the third beam is swept over the location of the UE. The detectionfor each signal may be performed in a same or similar manner asdescribed above with respect to block 610. The first signal may bedetected at a first point in time, and the second signal may be detectedat a second point in time. The first point in time and the second pointin time may be a same or different point in time. In the example shownin FIG. 7, the UE 152 may detect a first signal when an edge of the 5Gcoverage area 504 reaches the location of the UE 152 at a first point intime. The UE 152 may detect a second signal when an edge of the thirdfrequency coverage area 706 reaches the location of the UE 152 at asecond point in time. As shown, given the location of the 5G coveragearea 504 at the first point in time and the location of the thirdfrequency coverage area 706 at the second point in time, an edge of the5G coverage area 504 and an edge of the third frequency coverage area706 intersects at the location of the UE 152. In other examples, thelocation of the UE 152 may be in an overlap area of the 5G coverage area504 and the third frequency coverage area 706.

At block 812, the one or more processors of the UE may transmit amessage to the node of the communication network with an indication thatthe first signal in the second frequency range has been detected at thefirst point in time and the second signal in the third frequency rangehas been detected at the second point in time. The message is receivedat the node of the network. The message may be sent via a signal in thefirst frequency range, a signal in the second frequency range, or adifferent type of signal that the UE is capable of using to communicatewith the node of the network at its current location. When the thirdbeam is transmitted by another node in the network, the message to thenode may only have an indication relate to the first signal beingdetected at the first point in time, and the one or more processors ofthe UE may transmit a separate message to the other node of the networkwith an indication that the second signal in the third frequency rangehas been detected at the second point in time. In the example shown inFIG. 7, the UE 152 may transmit the message using the 4G LTE frequencyrange to node 110 or 114.

At block 814, using the pointing directions of the second and thirdbeams, as well as the measurements of the signals in the second andthird frequency ranges, the one or more processors of the UE or the oneor more processors of the node may determine the location of the UE. Thepointing direction and the measurements may be determined in a same orsimilar way as described above with respect to block 614. Thetransmission of the pointing direction or the measurements may also beperformed in a same or similar way as described above with respect toblock 614. In some cases, the location may additionally or alternativelybe determined based on the set patterns of the second and third beams.For example, the measurements of each beam may be compared with expectedmeasurements of each beam at given points of the patterns or changes inmeasurements for each beam at given points in the correspondingpatterns.

In another implementation, the pointing direction of the first beam andthe measurements of the signal in the first frequency range may also beused to trilateration methods. In this example, the location may bedetermined based on a relationship between measurements for the first,second, and/or third beams as the beams are moved in their correspondingpatterns. This determination may be same or similar to trilaterationusing the intersection of the three different coverage areas of thefirst, second, and third beams. The determined location of the UE may beused to establish a communication channel between the UE and the node.

An alternate implementation may involve transmitting the first beam froma first node of the network and transmitting the second beam (and insome cases the third beam) from a second node of the network. In thisimplementation, the UE may transmit the request to the first node whenin range of the first node, and the first node may communicate with thesecond node to request transmission of the second beam (and in somecases the third beam). Alternatively, the UE may transmit the request toboth the first and second nodes when in range of both nodes.

The features disclosed herein may allow for a more seamless integrationof 5G-enabled non-terrestrial nodes with existing terrestrial nodes thatprovide another type of coverage, such as 4G LTE. The 5G-enablednon-terrestrial nodes may then be used to supplement, expand, orstrengthen the coverage of existing networks. For example, the servicereliability of a network may be reinforced for M2M or IoT devices or forpassengers onboard moving platforms. Multicast and broadcast resourcesfor data may also be provided using the 5G-enabled non-terrestrialnodes, especially towards the network edges or at user terminals. Inaddition, non-terrestrial nodes, such as high-altitude balloons, may beused to expand network coverage into areas having little to noinfrastructure for terrestrial networks. The use of non-terrestrialnodes may reduce the time and cost required to plan and installadditional terrestrial nodes, especially in more remote areas.

Unless otherwise stated, the foregoing alternative examples are notmutually exclusive, but may be implemented in various combinations toachieve unique advantages. As these and other variations andcombinations of the features discussed above can be utilized withoutdeparting from the subject matter defined by the claims, the foregoingdescription of the embodiments should be taken by way of illustrationrather than by way of limitation of the subject matter defined by theclaims. In addition, the provision of the examples described herein, aswell as clauses phrased as “such as,” “including” and the like, shouldnot be interpreted as limiting the subject matter of the claims to thespecific examples; rather, the examples are intended to illustrate onlyone of many possible embodiments. Further, the same reference numbers indifferent drawings can identify the same or similar elements.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of determining a location of auser equipment, the method comprising: transmitting, by one or moreprocessors from a node of a network, a first beam having a firstfrequency range in a first area; receiving, by the one or moreprocessors, a request for determining the location of the user equipmentin a first signal that is in the first frequency range; causing, by theone or more processors, a second beam and a third beam to sweep withinthe first area, the second beam having a second frequency range and thethird beam having a third frequency range; receiving, by the one or moreprocessors, a second signal indicating when the second beam is sweptover the location of the user equipment; receiving, by the one or moreprocessors, a third signal indicating when the third beam is swept overthe location of the user equipment; and determining, by the one or moreprocessors, the location of the user equipment based on a first pointingdirection of the second beam and a second pointing direction of thethird beam.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second beam has asecond area smaller than the first area, and the third beam has a thirdarea smaller than the first area.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein thefirst frequency range is within a range of 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE)communication signals, and the second frequency range is within a rangeof 5G New Radio (NR) communication signals.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the causing of the second beam to sweep includes transmittingthe second beam after the receiving of the request.
 5. The method ofclaim 4, wherein the causing of the second beam to sweep includestransmitting instructions to a second node of the network to transmitand sweep the second beam; and wherein the second signal is from thesecond node.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes anindication of a capability of the user equipment to detect the firstfrequency range, the second frequency range, and the third frequencyrange.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing of the second beamto sweep within the first area includes physically or electronicallyadjusting a pointing direction of the second beam.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the determining of the location of the user equipmentis further based on a third pointing direction of the first beam.
 9. Themethod of claim 7, wherein the determining of the location of the userequipment includes implementing trilateration.
 10. A system fordetermining a location of a user equipment, the system comprising: oneor more transceivers configured to transmit and receive communicationbeams comprising one or more signals, the communication beams includinga first beam having a first frequency range; and one or more processorsconfigured to: transmit the first beam having the first frequency rangein a first area; receive a request for determining the location of theuser equipment in a first signal that is in the first frequency range;cause a second beam and a third beam to sweep within the first area, thesecond beam having a second frequency range and the third beam having athird frequency range; receive a second signal indicating when thesecond beam is swept over the location of the user equipment; receive athird signal indicating when the third beam is swept over the locationof the user equipment; and determine the location of the user equipmentbased on a first pointing direction of the second beam and a secondpointing direction of the third beam.
 11. The system of claim 10,wherein the second beam has a second area smaller than the first area,and the third beam has a third area smaller than the first area.
 12. Thesystem of claim 10, wherein the first frequency range is within a rangeof 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) communication signals, and the secondfrequency range is within a range of 5G New Radio (NR) communicationsignals.
 13. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processorsare further configured to transmit the second beam after the request isreceived.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the causing of the secondbeam to sweep includes transmitting instructions to a node of a networkto transmit and sweep the second beam, the node being remote from thesystem; and wherein the second signal is from the node.
 15. The systemof claim 10, wherein the request includes an indication of a capabilityof the user equipment to detect the first frequency range, the secondfrequency range, and the third frequency range.
 16. The system of claim10, wherein the causing of the second beam to sweep within the firstarea includes physically or electronically adjusting a pointingdirection of the second beam.
 17. The system of claim 10, wherein thedetermining of the location of the user equipment is further based on athird pointing direction of the first beam.
 18. The system of claim 17,wherein the determining of the location of the user equipment includesimplementing trilateration.
 19. The system of claim 10, wherein thecommunication beams includes the second beam and the third beam.
 20. Anon-transitory, computer-readable medium including instructions that,when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or moreprocessors to perform a method of determining a location of a userequipment, the method comprising: transmitting a first beam having afirst frequency range in a first area; receiving a request fordetermining the location of the user equipment in a first signal that isin the first frequency range; causing a second beam and a third beam tosweep within the first area, the second beam having a second frequencyrange and the third beam having a third frequency range; receiving asecond signal indicating when the second beam is swept over the locationof the user equipment; receiving a third signal indicating when thethird beam is swept over the location of the user equipment; anddetermining the location of the user equipment based on a first pointingdirection of the second beam and a second pointing direction of thethird beam.